GCSEs Summer 2020 (thread 4) -the final countdown

[PostNotInHaste]

Thread 3
Thread 2
Thread 1(year 10)

Hope OrangeCinnamon doesn’t mind me starting another in her absence , feel twitchy without ! Apologies in advance if I have messed the links up.

The last thread ended with discussion of possible school closures, not really what we want to hear at this point - let’s hope things sound more positive as thread progresses.

Will have to check how many DS has in different weeks - think one week looks pretty full

@Clary DD is pleased that French GCSE will conclude, at the end of the first week of exams, with the written paper.
For her, that paper is her favourite in the subject and indeed across all of her GCSE subject papers.

DD seems to have 6 per week so spread fairly evenly apart from the time clash on May 18th which will be a long afternoon.

Just washed the uniform and DD's jumper is fraying badly on the sleeve cuffs. I would usually have bought a new one but this one will have to last.

Idiot DH bought DS TWO new pairs of school trousers (£17 each as he didn't notice the M&S 2 for £15 ones) last week!!! For ~35ish more days of school

Haha! Dd has managed since Sept with one school shirt!! I do wash it every night which is probably not very environmentally friendly but I seem to do a wash every night anyway! I just couldn’t be bothered trekking up the motorway to the school shop for a new pair or paying the extortionate price - they’re a weird colour not available elsewhere. Plus I hoped at least one of the lost ones would turn up.... She’s also had the same blazer for five years!! I think we’ve done well where uniform is concerned!

Dd had her first sixth form offer today, at last! From the sixth form college. It’s nice to have one definite as the grades are very achievable. It feels weird to be definitely accepting though. How do we go about turning it down in August if need be? I guess we just ring them in results day?

Reluctantly, I bought 4 new shirts at the start of Yr11 because DDs had a distinctive ‘fake tan user’ appearance that no amount of ‘brighteners’ would ever drag them to a level that would pass an inspection by the ‘uniform police’ 😂
Not that I would try as they were truly awful!
Other ‘lost’ stuff- read lots- have been acquired pro gratis by now Yr12s and a successful ‘bum serve’ of said police has been successful- to date.
Counting down the laundry days...

x post with @crazycrofter and noticed I hadn’t mentioned that some stuff has not been acquired, hence weekly bum serves

Unless your school has a particularly weird and wacky uniform, won't school uniform still be serviceable as "smart" clothes if you've got items that are "newish"?

DS's is basically white shirt and black trousers, so standard formal wear for a man.
His school also has no study leave, so he's still got 7 weeks of school and 4 weeks of exams (or 11 uniform washes as I wash on a Friday night :) ) to wear it.

@RedskyAtnight I’m shite at maths.
Could you confirm in dates and indeed washes that you only have 11 uniform washes to go??

Shite,
Just noticed you wash in Friday night (mutters WTF does that)

now I'm hoping I've not miscounted!

DS has 5 shirts and one pair of trousers; they get washed on a Friday/Saturday at the end of a week

Dates are the w/c ...

Normal school weeks
9/3 (1)
16/3 (2)
23/3 (3)
30/3 (4)

Easter hols (no uniform wearing)
6/4

13/4

Normal school (washing again)
20/4 (5)
27/4 (6)
4/5 (7)

Exam weeks (he has to wear uniform)
11/5 (8)
18/5 (9)

Half term (no uniform needed)
25/5

More exam weeks
1/6 (10)
8/6 (11)

There are 2 more exam weeks, but DS's subjects finish on 12th June.

Just had a thought that they might have a mandatory morning in school after exams. Urgh. Must check. Though if they do it will doubtless involve writing on shirts, so no need to wash it :)

Proggy I wash at the end of the week because DS has 5 white shirts, DD has 5 white shirts, DH has 1 white shirt, and together they make a white load :)

(and we don't seem to own very much else that's white).

Now I've realised I'll have to come up with a new system in September as I'll only have half a load without DS's shirts.

Lol, I haven’t considered how many more washes! My eldest is 26 so I’ve been doing school runs and washing uniforms for 22yrs!! Ds2 isn’t my youngest so I’ve got a few more years to go as DD is in year 7. We have business wear for sixth form so can probably wear some of the shirts as he’s going to need suits.

@RedskyAtnight I too wash at the end of the week because I invested in the new white shirts at the start of Yr11
My schedule:
8/3 (1)
15/3 (2)
22/3 (3)
Easter Hols (none uniform)
29/3
5/4
12/4
19/4 (4)
26/4 (5)
3/5 (6)
10/5 (7)
17/5 (8)
24/5 Half term yay and no wash!
31/5 (9)
7/6 (10)
15/ (11)
Me finks there maybe mileage on last week as only 2 exams and haven’t checked the previous week ‘a wear grin]

DSs uniform is a logoed polo shirt and sweatshirt and black trousers embroidered with school name so unlikely to be ever worn again after June!

All sixth forms here wear their own clothes - I suspect DS needs some more clothes. He isn’t great at buying them though - hates going into shops and having to try them on etc

DD on the other hand....

DD's school doesn't require uniform for the exams, so I only have 4 more weeks, which means 3 more washes! And DH does the ironing, so he'll be thrilled to be done with ironing pleats into DD's very trad skirt.
As others have said, DD's school jumper has frayed sleeves and is.looking very washed out, but there's no way I was going to buy a new one at £40.

DD’s school have a slightly different sweatshirt for Year 11s and that’s still got lots of life in it, which is a bit of a waste. The shirts and skirts, on the other hand, are very much on their last legs. Mufti sixth form.

DS2 has had 5 new white cheap shirts (one a day) every September whether he needs them or not. They are already knackered and will not be replaced. Thankfully he wants to be a plumber next year and will likely never wear a white shirt again

Dd”s shirts are a weird shade of bright green that no one would ever wear out of choice!

I didn't think about the white wash implications. DS has 5 white shirts, which together with my white vests, younger DD's white socks and crop tops make up one white load per week (DD is at a blue shirt school). It always irritates me in the holidays having to do a half load with no shirts. DS has a smart-casual 6th form so we will need to go out and buy polo shirts and chinos. His white shirts, although not logo'd are obviously school uniform so will probably not be saved for future use. Maybe one if there are any without pen marks on.

I make Dd wash her own uniform , she even has a clothes horse for her room. She does have lots of pale clothes so can easily make a white wash. We also don't iron in this house a lot . The blouses get hung up on a clothes rail buttoned up and dry fine, skirt dry crease free over radiator or balcony. I feel like lazy mum lol especially as we only have her. The doing own washing thing i instigated because she was putting ridiculous amounts of stuff in the wash after wearing for three hours . Can't get her to do my plates etc washing up though, gets weird about it and complains about lack of dishwasher.

Oh and college very casual, Dd reckons she is dying hair blue in summer hols.

DS will be doing his own washing from September and be taught how to clean and cook (he can though to be fair).
We went to look at the college accommodation recently and it is an ex university halls of residence and felt a bit as if we had skipped a stage and were on a university visit, a bit strange in a way.

He will be back at weekends though, I don’t think any of us would like it if it were full boarding.

@postnotinhaste I suspect your weekends together will be quite meaningful as you will be 'making the most'.
Thinking about doing one if those personalised recipe books for Dd when she leaves home...yesterday for lunch she made herself pasta with bisto gravy and a side of tinned toms

Any tips from anyone about this last stage...the last push...gratefully received. Dd just finished second round of mocks i feel there maybe a break in momentum !

Yes hopefully! He seems to be emerging from his grunty days . Interesting choice of meal from DD but at least she did something and has plenty of time to up her game

We’ll be running through a few meals after the exams. There is a cooking rota so they submit ingredient list then cook for everyone in their flat . Breakfast is help yourself and they are responsible for lunch. The big issue for DS will be getting up on the morning though I suspect knowing we aren’t here to chive him along and he potentially faces waking up to the Head knocking on his door he may up his game

I think point out to her she is nearly there and get her to pace herself taking regular breaks and a few things to look forward to breaking it up? She’s done so well up to now as remember your early posts. Just has to keep her nerve and KOKO (keep on keeping on)